LET’S POLISH! Design from London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin and Warsaw

The exhibition “LET’S POLISH! Design from London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin and Warsaw” displays works by designers with a connection to Poland. The objective of the exhibition is to tackle the theme of identity and the questions of whether it is found in our own roots or if it can be constantly re-discovered in the shifting contexts of working in a globalised world.

(1/4)
Maria Jeglinska, The Little Black armchair

(2/4)
Marta Bakowski, Cosmos concrete

(3/4)
Marta Bakowski, Rays

(4/4)
Marta Bakowski, Concrete Containers

As an institution of the Republic of Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Polish Institute Berlin has the task not only of conveying Polish culture and piquing an interest in its multifaceted nature, but also creating a platform of communication on which a dialogue about the European community of values can emerge and thrive. Taking the works of six designers and design bureaux, “LET’S POLISH” embarks on tackling the question of identity. An interplay is built up between searching for identity in one’s own roots on the one hand, and testing out different identities in the multi-faceted international world of work on the other. To do this, the Institute has invited three designers who are connected to Poland in different ways. They have each been encouraged to propose another design bureau. Chmara Rosinke nominated the Kosmos Project, Maria Jeglinska proposed Krzysztof Pyda and Marta Bokowski suggested Jan Hendzel.

All the designers have one thing in common: they are working in an experimental context to produce commercial products. But this is not the only thing that links them. There are other aesthetic cross-references to discover, and it is yet to be discovered whether these will stem from mutual respect, similar working practices or parallels in exploring identity.